How to Make Perfect Cupcakes

This massively helpful post contains EVERYTHING you need to make your version of perfect cupcakes, including customization options, frosting, decorating, and the best cupcake tools. Bookmark this one!

Although cupcakes are certainly easier to make than cakes, there’s still a lot that can go wrong. I get asked so many questions about making perfectly moist, flavorful, and beautiful cupcakes that it was about time I wrote this How to Make Perfect Cupcakes guide for you. I have so many resources, images, tips, tricks, and videos to share I figured bringing them all into one massive post would make it super helpful. Let’s jump right in because there’s a lot to cover. I hope you enjoy!

My Ultimate Cupcake Guide

A couple years ago I did something a little crazy. I actually made 6 batches of cupcakes in one day, tweaking just one small thing at a time to gauge how different tweaks affected the final result. You can read the full Ultimate Cupcake Guide here to learn the exact differences, but the photo below is pretty explanatory as are the customization suggestions I’ve made.

Customize Your Cupcakes

Use the following ingredients to tweak your favorite cupcake recipe, or search for a recipe that follows your favorite kind of cake as described below.

Soft Cupcakes

Substitute half of the all-purpose flour with cake flour (not ‘homemade’ cake flour – the real stuff). Anything more than half tends to be dry and crumbly.

Moist and Rich

Add an egg yolk along with the other eggs called for in the recipe to achieve slightly chewy yet soft, ultra moist, and rich cupcakes that stand up to a thick and generous frosting.

Extra Flavorful

Swap out the milk called for in the recipe with buttermilk or sour cream for a slight tang to achieve a nice depth of flavor. Using sour cream may also yield slightly denser and chewier cupcakes, which is great if you like a lotta frosting.

Bake Beautiful Tall Domed Cupcakes

A problem MANY home bakers have with cupcakes is that they end up flat, or worse, caved in. Sometimes it’s just the fault of the recipe. There’s a fine line between being perfectly moist, and being so moist that the cupcakes just collapse due to the weight of that moisture. There’s a trick I learned while writing my Ultimate Guide to Muffins for getting beautiful domed cupcakes, as pictured above.

Here’s what you do:
Basically, you’ll start with a high temperature and drop to a lower temperature. Try starting at 400°F for 5 minutes, then reduce to 350°F for another 10 to 15 minutes, or until the cupcakes are done according to the recipe directions. You’ll also want to be sure to fill your cupcake tins 3/4 full with batter. This takes a little experimenting with and will depend on the recipe you’re using, but it’s a good trick to know!

Baking Tips You NEED to Follow!

If you ever have dry cupcakes, it’s likely due to an over-measurement of flour which is surprisingly easy to do. If you must use volume measurements (cups vs. weight), then be sure you’re fluffing up your container of flour, spooning it into your measuring cup, then scraping off the excess with a straight edge.

2. Temperature is EVERYTHING. Ingredients like butter and eggs should typically be at a cool room temperature. Track your oven’s temperature with an oven thermometer, because most ovens are fairly inaccurate and can ruin delicate food like cakes.

3. Follow the recipe! The first time you make a new recipe, follow it exactly. Recipe writers (reputable bloggers included!) spend a lot of time perfecting recipes and every step and ingredient is included for a specific reason. Making a bunch of changes or substitutions isn’t always a good idea. If you’re already familiar with a recipe, try changing ONE major thing at a time so you can track the results more clearly.

Baking Cupcakes

I love to use my large OXO Good Grips spring scoop to fill a Wilton Muffin Tin with the cupcake batter. If you’re using an oven thermometer as mentioned above, then baking shouldn’t present too many issues. Still, there’s a lot of factors that can change the amount of time YOUR cupcakes need to bake to perfection. Start checking on them soon rather than later.

Sticky Liners?
There’s nothing worse than baking beautiful cupcakes only to have them stick to the cupcake liners. OR when pretty decorative liners end up looking completely transparent after baking. Use high quality or professional level greaseproof baking liners and spray them lightly with nonstick cooking spray to help prevent the cupcakes from getting stuck. ALSO, be sure to remove the cupcakes within minutes of them coming out of the oven. The steam created by the residual heat can build up and cause the liners to attach to the cupcakes.

Buttercream Frosting

I’ve included two full step-by-step videos showing you how to make two of the best buttercream frostings you’ll ever taste. One is the easier American-style buttercream, the other is the more involved (but creamier and less sweet) Swiss meringue buttercream. Feel free to click on the full posts for more details, including the printable recipes.

Butter vs. Shortening?

This video demonstrates the differences between the two in all baking, in case you’re interested! Here’s a quick rundown for frostings:

Butter: By far the best flavor (butter-flavored shortening just can’t compare) but also requires cooler temperatures to avoid melting. Additionally, you’ll never get a pure white color with a butter based frosting.
Shortening: By far the best in holding its shape and not melting. However, flavor is seriously lacking and leaves a filmy greasy residue on the palate due to the higher melting temperature.

Salted vs. Unsalted Butter

Another full-fledged video explaining the differences because it’s something I’m asked about so often. Bottom line is that I ALWAYS use unsalted butter. However, if you only have salted you can omit all or most of the salt called for in the recipe.

Decorating Cupcakes

Beautiful bakery-quality cupcakes don’t need to be difficult or intimidating. Hopefully the tips in this section help you to create gorgeous cupcakes! My biggest tip for piping frosting is first to make sure the frosting is a perfect piping consistency. It should be light and fluffy and flow through your piping bag with ease. It shouldn’t be so thin that it can’t completely hold its shape.

Newbie Tip:
If you’re new to piping or just aren’t very good, practice on a clean plate or piece of parchment paper. You can just scrape the frosting back into your bowl and then back into the piping bag afterwards! Having good piping tips makes all the difference.

Which piping tip to use?

Do I need a coupler?

A couple is a little two-part plastic tool that allows you to change out your piping tip without having to change the entire bag. You only need a coupler if you plan on using more than one piping tip for the same batch of frosting. If you’re using some of the cupcake decorating tips I mentioned above, you’ll need a LARGE coupler.

Food Coloring

I don’t use the stuff often but when I do it’s typically Wilton gel coloring. I start off by adding a little bit at a time with a 1/4 teaspoon and increase the amount until I get my desired color.

Decorating with Chocolate

Making beautiful chocolate decorations to top your cupcakes with is much easier than you probably think. And it’s not just for Valentine’s Day!

Serving & Storage

I get asked frequently about how long cupcakes will stay good, and if frosted cupcakes can be kept at room temperature or not.

Room Temperature

Unfrosted cupcakes can be kept in an airtight container at room temperature for 2 to 3 days. Some cupcake recipes will last longer than others.

Storing frosted cupcakes can be a little tricker. Some would argue that the sugar in buttercream helps prohibit bacteria growth so buttercream is fine left at room temperature for an extended period. It’s up to you and what you feel safe doing. I typically keep frosted cupcakes at a cool room temperature for the majority of the day. Then I refrigerate. If you’re using shortening then you can keep it at room temperature for longer.

Fridge

Unfrosted cupcakes can be stored in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 1 week. Let come to room temperature before frosting and serving.

Frosted cupcakes can be stored in an airtight container in the fridge for for up to 2 to 4 days, though they’ll begin to dry out the longer they’re stored.

Frosting on its own can be stored in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 1 week. Let come to room temperature and re-whip in the stand mixer until light and fluffy again.

Freezer

Unfrosted cupcakes can be kept in an airtight container in the freezer for up to 2 months. Ensure the cupcakes maintain their quality by wrapping each one in plastic wrap and then storing in an airtight container. Thaw the frozen cupcakes in the fridge overnight. Cupcakes thawed at room temperature may go mushy.

Frosted cupcakes should not be frozen, however you can freeze the frosting on its own. Store in an airtight container in the freezer for for up to 3 months. Let come to room temperature and re-whip in the stand mixer until light and fluffy again. Add a tablespoon or 2 of powdered sugar if it needs to thicken.

My Favorite Cupcake Tools

Here are some of my favorite products and tools for baking cupcakes, in addition to what I mentioned above. Please note these are affiliate links, meaning I may earn a commission off your purchase which helps me continue to publish posts just like this one 🙂

About Tessa...

I share trusted baking recipes your friends will LOVE alongside insights into the science of sweets. I'm a professionally trained chef, cookbook author, and cookie queen. I love to write about all things sweet, carb-y, and homemade. I live in Phoenix, Arizona (hence the blog name!)

HI Tessa!
Thank you so much for this great post, full of tips.
One question, though… there’s also incuded freebie… well, it requires to subscribe again, and on e-mail all I got was 10 baking tips, not Buttercream cheatsheet
Can you chack what’s going on? Thank you

Hi Tessa I have being trying recreating the cookies recipes from your guide I have purchase last year. But i’ m still not happy with my results. First issue is baking soda it gives a darker colour to my chocolate cookies and i don’t like it. Second sugar available where i stay is white sugar it’s a mixture of coarsed and fine sugar depending on these label-castor sugar expensive and not always availabel-light brow very coarsed- dark brown coarsed but very moist- icing sugar and butter unsalted very expensive and not always availabel, although i have tried unsalted i have to go with unsalted due to availabity and it’s cheaper. And last they are still not spreading enough and the volume is still to low. Please reply I have posted some of my cookies in instagram …I love your blog thanx for making my life sweeter..

I just made the perfect chocolate cupcakes to use for my son’s wedding reception! They truly are perfect in every way! Now I need a vanilla (white) cupcake and I’m wondering if you have a perfect recipe for that too!

I’m in practice and prep mode – trying to find the perfect moist, not too dense, not too light cupcake that will look beautiful with white frosting and pearl dragees.

That makes me so happy to hear, Debbie! Unfortunately I have yet to truly perfect a vanilla cupcake. It’s proving much more difficult than chocolate! Best of luck to you on your baking adventure and an early congrats to your son 🙂

I had a quick question on the buttercream for frosting cupcakes. I have made buttercream with shortening, sugar, water, vanilla, etc in the past but would like to use butter this time given your advice. Normally with the shortening though I use more water to get a less stiff consistency, when I am using butter how do I change the stiffness to get the better consistency? Or is your buttercream receipt the correct consistency already?

Hi Katie! When you’re using all butter, there’s absolutely no need to add water to get a less stiff consistency. Butter already has water in it, so it makes for a really smooth texture. It’s actually quite a difference from shortening-based buttercreams!

Thanks for all the tips!! My cupcakes tase much more tasty now then they did before. Now when they taste good I got a present from my friend, these boxes, https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B076PN59LG they are amazing and now I can be happy because of your tip they tase good and look good! Thank you again.

Hi Tessa! May I please have the download for the templates in the video I just watched? I hope this is how to get them? Thank you very much for sharing the very informative video! I appreciate all your info, tips, recipes, etc…Thank you! Jackie

Some good tips, I like the control. My girls and I were planning a “cake-off” with the same concept. I’ve never tried Swiss meringue, I’ll have to give that a go. But the icing is a sticking point. It’s so much a personal preference and I actually use half butter and half shortening. Since I’ve switched to that or using all shortening at times, everyone, myself included, prefers my frosting that way. Plus I live in FL, the all butter just doesn’t stand up very well, especially traveling.

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